Tape measure



July 17, 1934. F. BUCK 1,966,707

TAPE MEASURE Filed Aug. 5, 1932 JNVENTOR FRED BUCK ATTOPNE) patentedJuly 17, 1934 UNITED STATES IAPE MEASURE Fred Buck, Saginaw, MiclL,assignor to Lufkin Rule 00., Saginaw, Mich., a corporation of MichiganApplication August 5, 193;, Serial No. 627,577 2 Claims. (01. 33-438)This invention is an improved tape winding device for use in'a tapemeasure of conventional form, that is, a tape, a casing having a tapeopening, a drum or spindle rotatable in bearings in the casing and atape attached to the drum and passing through the tape opening.

The improvement provides a drum-actuating means simple in construction,capable of being formed by stamping from sheet metal, inexpensive, andadapted to be assembled speedily in mass production.

An object of the invention is to provide a tape measure of unusual andattractive appearance that shall have no projecting or folding handle,thus differentiating from tape measures of usual construction.

Another object is to provide a novel drum actuating device wherein anumber of circularly arranged finger recesses or openings are providedin a disk-like member, enabling the operator, by inserting a finger tipin any convenient recess to rotate the disk and wind up the tape. Thedisk formed with finger openings also functions as a shutter to exposecharacters, letters or words that may be impressed on the underlyingface of the casing for advertising or display purposes. Moreover, thedisk with its finger tip openings possesses an operating advantage overthe conventional crank handle, in that the disk being close to the wallof the casing, presents a shallow recess so that although the user'sfinger tip easily exerts a grip ample to wind the tape, yet underconditions of ordinary use, the finger will slip out of the recessbefore the tape ring can be pulled tightly enough against the casing tostretch, tear or injure a tape, even one made of fabric. Formerly, theusual crank arrangement encouraged the operator to finish winding bypulling on the handle, thereby bringing unnecessary strain and wear onthe tape and shortening its life. My improvement overcomes thisobjection.

A further object of the invention is to provide a disk with flangesaround its periphery and also around the several finger tip openings sothat the disk is strongly reinforced against being bent, even though theopenings are located so close together as to have but little metalbetween them. Moreover, the flanged edges of the finger tip openingsprovide a sufliciently large smooth bearing to engage the finger tipcomfortably while winding the tape.

In the appended claims I have pointed out the essential elements of myinvention, it being understood, however, that the claims are notintended to be limited to the form of the parts illustrated anddescribed further than a limitation to the described form is-necessaryto distinguish them from the prior art.

- The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all thefigures of the drawing.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a side view of a tape measure embodying myinvention.-

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

As is clearly shown in the drawing, the casing proper consists ofthe'usual front member 1 and back member 2, flanged and joined togetherat 3. The tape winding spindle or drum 4 is rotatably mounted inbearings 1a, 2a in the casing walls 1 and 2. a Tape 5, preferablymade offabric, has its inner end 5a fastened to spindle 4, its outer endprojecting through tape opening 6. To the free end of the tape the usualring '7 is attached.

All of the foregoing elements are assembled in known manner to provide aconventional tape measure to which my improvement is adapted.

In applying my invention I fix to the end 4a of drum 4, by welding orotherwise, a fiat disk 8 of sheet metal. The end 4a is preferablyenlarged to present a collar where it projects through the bearing la inthe front member of the casing.

Disk 8 is mounted so as to rotate in a plane close to wall 1 whileturning the drum 4 to wind the tape. Preferably disk 8 is formed with aplurality of circularly arranged recesses or openings 8a to receive thefinger tips of the operator when winding the tape. Wall member 1 of thecasing is formed with an upstanding peripheral bead 1b that surroundsthe area over which disk 3 operates. The outer face of disk 8 ispreferably fiush with the top of bead 1b and its outer Inargin isreinforced by an inwardly projecting peripheral flange 81). Each fingertip opening 8a is preferably bounded by a flange that reinforces thenarrow strip of metal between adjacent openings. The fiange 80 alsopresents appropriate area for the finger tips to engage comfortablywhile winding.

The parts may be assembled in the following manner:

The casing members 1 and 2 are assembled and fastened together bysolder, welding, or otherwise, and the inner end 5a of tape 5 is passedin through opening 6 and out through bearing 1a and is then fastened tothe winding drum 4, in known manner.

Drum 4 with the tape end attached is pushed in through bearing in andthe tape is pulled out taut through opening 6. An end of thimble 2a upagainst the casing at opening 6. Damage to the tape is avoided becausethe opening 8a is of shallow depth due to the closeness of disk 8 tofront wall 1. The users finger tip will ordinarily slip out of theopening when the tape is completely wound and before it can be injured bbeing pulled too hard, as above noted.

The tape 5 can be removed easily by taking out thimble 2a, taking offdisk 8 with its attached drum 4, and unfastening the old tape. Since theopening la, in which the enlarged end or collar 4a rotates as in abearing, is somewhat larger than the reduced part of the drum4, space isprovided through which the attached end of the tape, along with severalturns of tape remaining on the drum, can be pulled out of the casingalong with the drum by merely separating disk 8 from casing member 1. I

The shape of the finger holes or recesses 8a, or their arrangement onthe disk 8 can be otherwise than as shown in the drawing and's'uitablecharacters, as X, may be printed on front wall 1 so as to be exposed bythe openings 8a when disk 8 is rotated, for display purposes. By themeans above described a tape measure has been provided that isattractive and unusual in appearance, is simple in construction andadapted to be produced in quantities rapidly and cheaply. It has noprojecting handle or similar part and the winding disk is arranged sothat when actuated by the finger tip it prevents winding the tape tootightly. The finger tip openings serve also as shutters to expose orattract attention to the characters on the tape casing.

Having thus desoribed'my invention, what I claimand desire to secure byLetters Patent, is:

1. A tape measure, including a casing containing admin and a tapeattached thereto, having inv combination a rotatable disk fixed to anend of the drum and disposed adjacent to a wall of the casing and fingertip receiving recesses formed in saiddisk, said disk being arranged to.rotate in-a plane close to the wall of the casing and spaced therefrom,said casing being formed with an externally raised circular bead whosetop is substantially flush with the outer face of the disk.

2. A tape measure, including a casing containing a drum and a tapeattached thereto, having in combination a rotatable disk fixed to an endof the'drum and disposed adjacent to a wall of the casing and finger tipreceiving recesses formed in said disk, said disk being arranged torotate in a plane close to the wall of the casing and spacedtherefrom,the end of the drum to which the disk is fixed being provided with acollar rotatable in an opening formed in said wall, the

collar being of larger diameter than the por-

